ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · can · mug · snap · coach · patient · lean · stick

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to click
  3. can — to be able to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — of the year
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mug — a face
  8. lean — thin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — a cup
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — in sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com